On Stage

James Cotton, a great American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter, who has performed and recorded with many of the greatest blues artists in history, comes to Buffalo, Friday, April 11, for a perform with the James Cotton Blues Band at Kleinhans Music Hall.

The Goo Goo Dolls will hit the road in April for a spring acoustic tour, called The Otis Midnight Sessions. The shows will be performed in a "Story Tellers" format that enables the multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated band to dig deep into an extensive song catalog spanning its nearly 30-year history.

Seneca Casinos announces the addition of two performers to its already rock-solid lineup of spring entertainment. Coming to Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel in Niagara Falls, USA, will be Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas on May 10, and longtime singer-songwriter Paul Anka on April 19.

From Feb. 13-16, in collaboration with the Castellani Art Museum, NU Theatre will present "A Piece of My Heart" by Shirley Lauro, directed by adjunct professor Amanda Lytle Sharpe. This readers' theater production will be performed at the Castellani Art Museum amidst a specially curated art exhibit.

During a mere 17-day span this spring, the two Seneca Casino resorts will be home to one of the world's premier classic rock bands, a leading country singer-songwriter, one of the most successful comedians in history, one of the most powerful rock voices from the 1980s, and an accomplished actor/director who leads a side band.

"Hard Rock Rising," the world's largest and most far-reaching battle of the bands competition, will give one local band the chance of a lifetime: an all-expenses paid trip to Rome to perform at the first "Hard Rock Live Rome" music festival this summer.

The Lewiston Council on the Arts and Just Buffalo Literary Center will partner to launch a new regional poetry and music event in Niagara County. The "Lewiston Arts Café" will feature some of the finest poets and musicians in Western New York performing in a 1960s coffee house style setting.

After a short holiday break, one of the hardest working groups in music today, The Band Perry, will pick up where they left off at the end of 2013. Days into the new year, the award-winning sibling trio will kick off the North American leg of their first headlining tour - "We Are Pioneers World Tour."

The final weekend of 2013 promises to be one to remember at Seneca Casinos in Western New York. Entertainment will ring out the year with world-famous singer and actress Vanessa Williams at Seneca Niagara Events Center on Dec. 28, followed by a boisterous rock performance by Cheap Trick on Dec. 29 at Seneca Allegany Events Center.

At 7 p.m. tonight, clarinetist Ricardo Morales will share his knowledge with Western New York students at a masterclass held in the Mary Seaton Room of Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, Buffalo.

Hard Rock Café, Niagara Falls USA, is supporting breast cancer awareness through the 14th annual "Pinktober" campaign. As part of the program, Hard Rock is going beyond the pink ribbon this pink season with a special "Living Ribbon" event.

After its much-lauded "Spring For Music" performance at Carnegie Hall, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra returns to the Kleinhans Music Hall stage to bring superstars, rising stars, classical masterworks and cutting-edge new works to Western New York audiences.

Jay Z is coming to First Niagara Center as part of his Magna Carter World Tour, on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2014. Tickets go on sale Thursday, Sept. 12, at 10 a.m., and cost $125, $99.50, $59.50 and $39.50 (includes $2.50 facility fee). They can be purchased at the First Niagara Center Box Office, online at www.tickets.com or by calling 888-223-6000.

The Center for the Arts, University at Buffalo, will present LehrerDance on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 8 p.m. in the Mainstage Theatre, located at the Center for the Arts, North Campus. The performance is sponsored by M&T Bank. There will be a pre-performance talk at 7:15 p.m.

The Center for the Arts, University at Buffalo, announces its fall 2013 season. All performances will be held in the Mainstage Theatre located at the Center for the Arts on the UB North (Amherst) Campus.

Before Eric Burdon wraps up the current European leg of his ongoing world tour at the Notodden Blues Festival in Norway, he will perform several shows in North America. Burdon and The Animals will take the stage tonight, alongside Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, as part of the "Buffalo Place Rocks Canalside" concert series at the Erie Canal Harbor Central Wharf in downtown Buffalo. The show begins at 6 p.m. For more information, visit www.buffaloplace.com.

The Center for the Arts, University at Buffalo, announces Chris Cornell will bring his "Songbook" solo acoustic tour to town on Tuesday, Nov. 5, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets ($49.50) go on sale Friday, Aug. 16, at 10 a.m.

Cornell, Soundgarden's frontman, will play a series of intimate shows highlighting songs he has written throughout his illustrious career. This is the first time U.S. fans will hear acoustic arrangements of songs from 2012's critically acclaimed "King Animal," Soundgarden's first new studio album in more than 16 years.

Fifty and fabulous? No doubt about it! This season Niagara University Theatre celebrates its 50th anniversary season with what is expected to be an exciting array of entertainment options to suit a variety of tastes.